The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-07
Points from the Lengthy Annual ADJ
dress of the General Master Workman.
Troubles and Dissensions Of the Order Re-
viewed at Great Length. and Suggestions
Offered Looking to Their Il cation.
The Question of Anarchy Treated in
Plain and Very Emphatic Language,
The General Master Workman Declaring that
Every Ayowed Anarchist Should at Once Be
Compelled to Leave the Organization.

Compelled to Leave the Organization.
MINnEAPoLIs. Oct. 6.-The Knights Of Labor
convention opened at a15 A. NJ, with a motion
to suspend rules and appoint committee to
draft resolutions to the memory of Thomas A.
Armstrong.
Mr.. Foster. of Massachusetts. moved to amend
by substituting a committee of seven to raise
money to pay for a monument to his memory
General Master Workman Powderly called
upon H. A Carlton to take the chair while he
delivered tribute to the memory of Armstrong,
after which the following telegram was read:
PITTsBURG. Pa, Oct. 5.
". Powderly-Old friends of Thomas A. Arm
strong representing all labor organizations in this
city and the military organizations of which he was
member, organized to appropriately bury him. last
tbs nnrnass of sreetng @ monument to his
one of the champions of organized labor. A per-
ing and we advise you thus early asking coop
Grafton, in order that the General Assembly of
knghs of Labor may act appropriately IN the prem
TO redeem itself against the slanders that it is
true to the memory of the w noble n men who Champion
j. NJ KELLY Secretary.
The committee credentials resumed busi-
ness at 1890 Petitions from Locals 1424 3714.
1892 and 360S. asking to be represented by c. j.
Driscoll, of Denver. Col were received. The
local assemblies named wore attached to dis
trict assembly. and not entitled to representa-
ton except through tho district assembly. The
petition was refused. These local assemblies
are in the district assembly that protested
strongly against j. r. Buchanan.
The credentials presented by Mrs Marion
Todd, of Michigan, were positively refused, and
that lady had to follow in the wake of Bu-
chanan.
The case of District Assembly 126. of New
York, Master Workman John Morrison next
came up on a motion to reinstate the D. A. The
NJ W. Powderly.
The rolloall showed 225 delegates present.
The following telegram sent to the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers, now in
session at Terre Hsute. Ind:
The General Assembly of the Knights Of Labor
now assembled return hearty greetings to their
workers in the of labor, and bid them God
speed in their deliberations Our interests
T. V. PowDERLY.
For over four hours this afternoon the still
ness in Harmonic Hall was broken only by the
voice of one man and frequent hursts of ap-
plause. It was strong, clear voice when Il
started, but before the close it was hoarse and
cracked. The speaker. or rather the reader
was General Master Workman Powderly, and
the matter was his annual address to the
General Assembly. It was contained in a PAM
phlet of sixty-four pages OF closely printed type
Fifty-fye pages were devoted to a history Of the
troubles in the organization during tho past
twelve months, and about four of the remaining
nine to suggestions for its improvement and
the statement that the last ses-
efn Of Acsav
was held amid the clamor of discontented
within the ranks. which were enlarged upon and
scattered to the world by enemies within and
without. To-day there was but objection
able feature which stood in the way of the sue
cess of the convention. and this was of 60 unim-
portant q nature that he would not refer to it,
The delegates understood this to refer to the
Anarchist resolution. and there was applause
and counter applause. A sharp rap of the gavel
restored order and the speaker at plunged
into history of the Chicago stockyards' strike
OF last year, which was summarily ended by
the executive board. This occupied the atten-
tion of the convention for over an hour. AL
the correspondence which passed between the
general master workman, the officers of the
sembes strike. and Messrs. Barry and
Carlton, of the executive board. who
visited Chicago at the time to investigate the
trouble, read in detail Incidentally the
speaker charged that the message ordering the
strike off, which was prematurely published.
was picked off the wires and given to the press
by somebody connected with the telegraph serv-
ice. Summing up the matter" the speaker
said, s'there is no doubt that these men were In
earnest in the belief that they were carrying
out the principles of the order ] contended. and
now contend, that when the time comes to put
one more of the principles OF tie order in
practice before the public. it is the duty Of
the General Assembly to order its executive
board to do so, or it is the duty OF the board TO
act in the matter. L believe that the men of the
hours. I believe that all laborins men
should work no more tnan eight
made in that direction we should carefully con-
slider the interests of all concerned. well
the prospects of success for the undertaking
What the General Assembly orders to do will
be done in preference to any command sug-
gestion from any other source" In discussing
the subject the speaker denied the charge,
which was made during the trouble, that he
acting under church influence, and ex-
planned that he did not reply to a dispatch re-
ceived from Father Flanagan. of St AIMS
Church. of the town of Lake, urging speedy
settlement of the difficulty, because he did not
want to place him tthe pastor1 In the position of
interfering in the matter.
The speaker next went into the question of the
order and anarchy. He said: II have never, as
has been so often asserted in the press of the
land, eonfounded socialism with anarchy.
draw wide line of distinction between the two,
every reading, thinking man must When
ever have had occasion to say anything con-
cerning anarchy it has been reported that as
sailed socialism. | have said very little concern
ing either one, except from the public platform.
and my mind altogether too much prominence
been given to the subject by the press.
Within the order not enough of interest has been
awakened until lately regarding the matter. 1t
was taken for granted that the order. being
SO large and influential. could afford to ignore
the question: and could afford TO put up
with the presence of few of the rankest An
archsts. / have thought otherwise, and because
/ have taken issue with these men in their eff
forts TO make the order Of the Knights of Labor
subordinate TO the demands of those known
the Anarchist element. l have been taken to
task more than once. Some of our prominent
members. in speaking of these things. have said:
'Powderly is only speaking for himself when he
assails the Anarchists l will lay the case be-
fore this General Assembly. and when | have
done so, will ask OF this body to say whether /
was right not will also ask of the Ge neral
Assembly TO define the position of the order